HERE is a football player who deserves the respect of all in the nfl and society in general, but instead of being praised for raising awareness about domestic violence by wearing purple shoes William Gay has been fined by the league for being out of uniform. Check these out from +Ultraviolet Info and +The New York Times .....
The NFL just fined a player for wearing purple football shoes to raise awareness about domestic violence. Seriously. The player, William Gay, knows all too well about domestic violence--his mother was murdered by his abusive stepfather when he was eight-years old. Clearly, the NFL has no clue how to respond to the issue of domestic violence. So let's show them, and thank Gay for raising awareness about an issue that affects one in four women. Will you join me in thanking him? Sign the thank you to William Gay | |
| October is both breast cancer awareness month and domestic violence
awareness month. And while both are important issues for women, there's
one the NFL would rather not talk about. While players, teams, and even stadiums are awash in pink to raise awareness for breast cancer, purple shoes are not allowed. The NFL is all about protecting its image. That's why it has warned its players not to make waves off the field. But that's exactly what we need when it comes to domestic violence, an issue that the league has tried to bury. Gay has spoken out and said that he will pay the fine, but he hopes that the NFL will donate it to support domestic violence survivors.5 Other players, and the league, are watching to see how the public responds. Let's show them that we have Gay's back. Add your name.  --Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, Adam, Holly, Kaili, Kathy, Onyi, Susan, Clarise, Anathea, Audine, Ryan, Shannon, Vanessa, Megan, Kaytee, and Libby, the UltraViolet team Sources: |
2. After Ray Rice, The NFL Pledged Millions To Fight Domestic Violence. Here’s How The Money Was Spent. Think Progress, October 7, 2015
3. N.F.L. Player Punished for Purple Shoes, New York Times, October 29, 2015
4. Domestic Violence: 1 In 4 American Women Attacked By Intimate Partner, Huffington Post, December 15, 2011
5. William Gay wore purple shoes for domestic violence awareness, got fined, NBC Sports, October 28, 2015
N.F.L. Player Punished for Purple Shoes
William Gay, a cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is preparing to pay a $5,797 fine this week because he wore purple cleats for a game on Sunday.
The unsanctioned footwear was his way to honor his mother, who was
murdered by her partner when the future footballer was only eight years
old.
The N.F.L., however,
was unmoved by Mr. Gay’s very public effort to highlight the dangers of
domestic violence. He was out of uniform, period. If you thought Sgt.
Emil Foley, the terror in “An Officer and A Gentleman,” was the worst
possible stickler for the perfectly shined belt buckle, the N.F.L. is
also in the running. The players’ uniforms have to be, well, uniform.
The N.F.L. apparently
has such strict rules about exactly what a player cannot wear on the
field that it also fined two other Pittsburgh players for trying to
remember their deceased relatives. The two — Cameron Heyward, a
defensive end, and DeAngelo Williams, a running back — were adding
messages to the streaks of eye black that are supposed to reduce glare.
Okay, some players and fans go overboard with so much eye black they
look like Alice Cooper. But these were small and tasteful messages that
were very hard for anybody but the N.F.L. to see.
Mr. Heyward had the
words “Iron” and “Head” on his eye blacks. His father, Craig “Ironhead”
Heyward, died of brain cancer. And Mr. Williams, whose mother died of
breast cancer, wore eye black with the message “Find the Cure”.
It apparently didn’t
matter to the National Football League that October is Domestic Violence
Awareness Month. It is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the
league does allow pink cleats in October to showcase the need to support
this important cause. (The N.F.L. site even sells certified N.F.L. gear
with touches of pink during October).
So far, the N.F.L. has
not said how they will use the money collected from these players. That
should be an easy call. Send this money straight to the worthy
organizations that fight cancer and domestic violence.
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